A Teenager Found Dead After Drowning During a Flood in Bekasi

BEKASI - A teenager named Johana (19), a resident of Labansari Village, East Cikarang District, Bekasi Regency, was found dead after drowning in a flood puddle in Bojongsari Village, Kedungwaringin District, Monday, January 19.

The incident occurred when the victim and three of his colleagues were swimming to cross to the Labansari area. On the way, the victim stopped at the goal post which was submerged in the flood with a water depth of almost two meters.

The head of Labansari Village, Amak Gozali, said the victim was known to be accustomed to swimming across floodwater when the water overflowed. However, in this incident, the victim was suspected of being in the water for too long until the disease he suffered from recurred.

"The victim can swim, but maybe because he was in the water for a long time, his disease recurred, then he had a seizure and drowned," said Amak, Tuesday, January 20.

According to him, the victim is estimated to have been in the water for about 15 to 25 minutes before he was finally found. When evacuated, the victim was already in a state of not breathing with a pale and bluish face. A witness who is a medical worker had given first aid in the form of cardiac compression, but the victim's life was not saved.

The flood at the location was known to be the impact of the overflow of the Ciebet River and the Citarum River, which are connected in the area. After being evacuated, the victim's body was taken by ambulance and handed over to the family.

Because the cemetery area in Labansari Village is still flooded, the local village government coordinated with the Bojongsari Village Government to provide an alternative burial site. The victim is planned to be buried in the Bojongsari Village area.